Scope of the Problem

●     The number of people aged 65 and above who are homeless will nearly triple over the next decade. (The Emerging Crisis of Aged Homelessness)

●     Homeless adults in their 50s have geriatric conditions such as vision impairment, incontinence, and frequent falls at rates akin to those of their housed counterparts who are twenty years older (UC San Francisco, 2016)

●     In 2019, 39% of individuals experiencing homelessness in Boston were age 50+ (City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development, 2019)

●     10% of baby boomers have negative net worth and 70% of boomers do not have enough saved for retirement (Nasdaq, 2020)

Hearth’s Work

●     Hearth currently owns and operates 228 units of permanent affordable housing

●     Hearth serves over 550 older adults in housing and supportive services across Greater Boston every year (Hearth Annual Report, 2019)

●     Since its founding in 1991, Hearth has housed 2,609 homeless and housing-insecure older adults through our permanent supported housing programs and outreach programs (as of 12/31/2019)

●     An analysis by Commonwealth Care Alliance of their clients in Hearth Housing found an average healthcare cost savings of $14-20K on an annual basis